Since the Portuguese ruled North Konkan for a long time, many small and large forts built by them can be seen in the sea belt from Vasai to Daman. Most of these forts have been extensively damaged and very few remnants remain. One such small fort is Kolvali Fort, built by the Portuguese near Tarapur. Kolvali Fort is 8 km from Wangaon Railway Station, this Fort can be reached by private rickshaw. On the Wangaon-Chinchani road, there is a fork to go to Kolvali village and Fort is unfamiliar to the locals, so one should ask for Hanuman Mandir to reach the Fort. Fort is about half a km from the main road in the village. On reaching the Hanuman temple, one can see the two storied structure of Kolvali Fort surrounded by bushes behind the temple. Most of the buildings built by the Portuguese look similar. The 30 x 30 feet two-story building remains intact today. ... Rough stones are used in the construction of this building and the walls are plastered with lime on both sides. Grooves are made in the wall of the building. Big windows and niches can be seen in the walls of the building. Looking at the location and construction of this monument, it must be an administrative place. As there is no protective system visible in the construction of the building, it cannot be said that this is a fort. The current condition of the fort is pathetic and 10 minutes is enough to see this place. Built by the Portuguese around the 16th century, the main purpose of these lookout forts was to protect waterways and provide necessary logistics to small and large forts in the province. Using all these small forts, watchtowers, etc. the Portuguese established their empire along the North Konkan sea route. During the Vasai campaign of 1739, this area came under the control of the Marathas. People who come here with expectation of seeing a fort are likely to be disappointed.
© Suresh Nimbalkar